In 2024, Costco Wholesale completed a corporate carbon footprint assessment and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (indirect emissions across the value chain).
Costco Wholesale has also provided a category-level breakdown for 9 out of 15 Scope 3 emissions categories, offering greater transparency into its value chain emissions.
| Metric (tCO2e) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Scope 1 | 1,287,937a | 1,424,357a | 1,405,640c | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Market-Based | 1,272,682a | 1,336,087a | 1,375,183c | |
Location-Based | 1,462,626a | 1,455,121a | 1,425,977c | |
Total Scope 3 | 179,631,657a | 190,239,840a | 181,114,446c | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | 5.0616a | 5.8787a | 6.1935c |
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In 2024, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Costco Wholesale amounted to 2,750,563 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes both direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2).a
Compared to 2023, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Costco Wholesale decreased by 4.48%, showing that the company has made progress in taking action to reduce the climate impact of its operations.a
In 2024, the total Scope 1 emissions of Costco Wholesale were 1,287,937 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Compared to the previous year (2023), Costco Wholesale's Scope 1 emissions decreased by 9.58%, highlighting the company's efforts to lower direct emissions from assets it owns or controls.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 1,272,682 tCO₂e using the market-based method and 1,462,626 tCO₂e using the location-based method.a
Compared to the previous year (2023), Costco Wholesale's Scope 2 emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that Costco Wholesale's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported its Scope 2 emissions using the market-based method and using the location-based method.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported 179,631,657 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representing indirect emissions across its upstream and downstream value chain.a
The 2024 disclosure of Costco Wholesale includes a breakdown across 9 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, matching the level of disclosure in 2023, demonstrating consistent Scope 3 emissions reporting coverage year over year.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported total Scope 3 emissions of 179,631,657 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 53.65% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 46.35% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Since 2019, Costco Wholesale's Scope 3 emissions have increased by 44,807.91%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 3 emissions over time.ab
Compared to the previous year (2023), Costco Wholesale's Scope 3 emissions remained relatively stable, indicating that Costco Wholesale's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its value chain footprint.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported emissions for 9 out of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.b
This partial disclosure allows for some insight into the company's indirect impacts.
In 2024, the largest contributors to Costco Wholesale's Scope 3 emissions were:b
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 1,287,937 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 254,453 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 5.06 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 5.06 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 11.26, this places the company below its industry benchmark, indicating it is more carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale ranked 7 out of 24 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
Costco Wholesale is therefore positioned in the mid-range of its industry, neither a clear leader nor a laggard in carbon efficiency.a
In 2024, Costco Wholesale reported a total carbon footprint of 182,382,220 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 5.56% decrease compared to 2023, indicating progress in reducing its overall greenhouse gas output.a
The largest contributor to Costco Wholesale's total carbon footprint was Scope 3 emissions, accounting for 98.49% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 2 emissions at 0.8%.a